A typical cotton harvester includes a plurality of harvesting units arranged side-by-side at a forward end of the harvester. To enhance productivity of the harvester, up to five harvesting units are arranged laterally across the forward end of a harvester frame.
Each harvesting unit is individually connected to a laterally elongated support structure including a lift assembly. The lift assembly includes a pair of laterally spaced arms which extend forward from and whose angular orientation relative to the frame determines the vertical disposition of the support structure and, thus, the harvesting units relative to the ground.
Each harvesting unit includes a housing wherein a cotton harvesting mechanism is rotatably arranged. A typical harvesting mechanism includes a pair of upright picker rotor assemblies and a pair of upright doffer assemblies arranged in operative combination with each other. As the harvester is driven through a cotton field, the picker rotor assemblies remove the cotton from the plants and the doffer assemblies remove or doff the cotton from the picker rotor assemblies.
The doffed cotton is propelled from the harvesting unit housing by the doffer assembly and into a conveying structure. A conventional conveying structure includes a compartment or door structure and an elongated duct structure. The door structure is typically connected to the harvesting unit to receive the doffed cotton. The duct structure is connected to and extends from the door structure for directing the doffed cotton to a suitable receptacle or basket.
When harvesting narrow row cotton, the harvesting units are arranged in close relation (about 30 inch lateral spacing) relative to each other. Therefore, access between the units for inspection and servicing thereof is extremely limited. Recent advancements, however, promote lateral movement of the harvesting units along the support structure. As will be appreciated, lateral movement of the harvesting units relative to each other facilitates inspectional and service access therebetween.
Considerable design effort has reduced both the size and weight of the harvesting units. Such efforts notwithstanding, the required use and operation of the harvesting units mandate a relatively large-sized mechanism which is constructed for extensive and rugged use. Besides the size and weight of the harvesting unit, the attachment of the conveying structure to the harvesting unit further complicates the problem of laterally moving the harvesting units.
As will be appreciated, disconnecting the cotton conveying structure from the harvesting unit to facilitate its lateral movement is awkward and time consuming. The problem is exacerbated when other panels or portions on the harvesting unit must be removed to gain access to the picker rotor assemblies or doffer assemblies. Of course, during a harvesting operation, time is at a premium.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,112 discloses an improved cotton duct structure for a cotton harvester. A salient feature of such duct structure is a hinge-like connection between a lower duct extension and an upper duct extension. The hinge connection allows for limited lateral movement of a portion of the duct structure along with lateral displacement of the harvesting unit to which it is connected to facilitate access between the units. As long as the conveying structure extends outwardly of the lift arms of the lift assembly, there is adequate space for lateral movement of a portion of the duct structure along with the harvesting unit.
When a harvester is equipped with four or more harvesting units to maximize picking capacity, however, some of the conveying structures on inboard harvesting units extend through a limited space defined between the spaced arms of the lift assembly and, thus, cannot be laterally moved outward due to structural or drive line interferences. Accordingly, the restricted or confined movement of the conveying structure connected to the inboard harvesting units limits lateral displacement of the harvesting unit connected thereto or the conveying structure needs to be disconnected from the harvesting unit to permit adequate lateral displacement of the harvesting unit.
As will be appreciated, limited lateral displacement of the harvesting unit fails to provide the adequate space required for proper servicing of the harvesting units. Accordingly, valuable harvesting time is consumed disconnecting the harvesting unit to permit adequate lateral displacement and thereby allowing proper servicing of the harvesting unit. Moreover, when the harvesting unit is returned to its harvesting position, valuable harvesting time is spent reconnecting the conveying structure to the harvesting unit. The inboard location of the harvesting units to which the conveying structure is attached furthermore complicates operator access to effect disconnection and reconnection of the conveying structure relative to the respective harvesting unit and detracts from harvesting operations.
Thus, there is a need and a desire for a cotton conveying structure which will allow lateral movement of a respective harvesting unit relative thereto while maintaining its integrity as a structure thereby reducing the amount of time required to service the harvesting unit.